CEO: Never leave a job interview without asking this No. 1 question—it 'cuts through the BS'

That's the dream for just everyone

And frankly, companies want the same thing

When employee values align with company values, you get engagement and retention

A desire for this "glove-" fit is why so many MBA students enroll in my class at NYU Stern School of

It's called "Becoming You," and its goal is to help graduates find a job aligned with their purpose

But here's the blem — and it's a big one: Most people know their aptitudes and interests

And worse, most don't know how to identify a company's real values, either

Not the ones in the brochure

Nearly every company will say it values empowerment, innovation, and excellence

But let's be honest: Those are just platitudes

The truth is, values aren't what a company says it believes

Values are how work really gets done

Figuring out a company's valuesAsk directly, and you'll usually get those same vague buzzwords

So you'll need to do some sleuthing

And that's where the job interview comes in

There's one question that cuts through the BS: "What kind of person should not work at this company. "People who ask it are usually stunned

It almost always catches managers off guard, but that's exactly why it works

Because the answers are often more honest, less rehearsed, and far more revealing

Here are some real responses my students have heard:"A person who doesn't want to text on weekends. ""Someone who wants to try out different roles — this is a place for specialists. ""A person who's too social. ""Excessive wokeness does not really fly here. ""Anyone who s to work on their own too much. "Now we're getting somewhere

These answers reveal true values — in high relief

Take that first one: "A person who doesn't want to text on weekends. " That company might claim it respects boundaries and employee well-being

But this answer tells a different story

Or, "A person who's too social. " Translation: "We prize focus and independence

Not so much. "I'm not saying any of those values are wrong — unless they're wrong for you

Keep in mind that this question is best d for the end of your interview cess, ideally after you've received an offer

Because it can be so disarming to hiring managers that you want to make sure you have good rapport with them before you launch it

And since this question can make people get a little defensive, it has to be dered with just the right tone

You need to sound pleasantly curious, not investigative, even though indeed, you are being a little bit investigative

How to get on your own valuesYou can get a ranked list of your core values by taking "The Values Bridge," a test I developed with my team

But the seven values exercises I was using in class weren't giving students the precision they needed

People kept confusing values with virtues, despite my best efforts

Virtues are broadly agreed-upon ideals: Fairness, Integrity, Honesty

Values are choices — how we want to and work

They're not good or bad, just right or wrong for you

Take the value of Scope, for example

People with high Scope want stimulation: learning, adventure, novelty

Low Scope individuals seek calm, predictability, and peace

There are 15 values in total — Affluence, Familycentrism, Achievement, and Radius

You can test for all of them — and you should

Especially if you're job hunting

Because once you know your values, you can assess if a company s them

Suzy Welch is an award-winning NYU Stern School of fessor, acclaimed reer, podcaster and three-time NYT best-selling author, most recently with "Becoming You: A ven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career. " A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard School, Dr

Welch is a frequent guest of the Today Show and an op-ed contributor to the Wall Street Journal

She serves on the boards of public and, and is the Director of the NYU | Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing

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